Method and apparatus for treating continuous filaments



April 16, 1968 I R. A. FABER 3,378,395

METHOD AND APPARATUS FQII TREATING CONTINUOUS FILAMENTS Filed Dec. 25, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l 28 INVENTOR. & RQHARD A. X-ABE ATTO NEY April 16, 1968 R. A. FABER 3,378,395

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING CONTINUOUS FILAMENTS Fil.=i Dec. 23, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 53L INVENTOR. RICHARD A. FABER ATTORNEY 3,378,395 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING CONTINUOUS FILAMEN'IS Richard A. Faber, Swanton, Ohio, assignor to Johns- Manville Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 332,366 9 Claims. (Cl. 117120) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE In the art of applying solubilized treating material to advancing filaments, by means of a positionable treating material applicator, closing off the supply of treating material by the same motion of the applicator employed to reposition the applicator out of the normal advancing filament path.

This invention relates broadly to method and apparatus for applying treating material to continuous filaments and for controlling the supply of the treating material. More particularly, this invention relates to apparatus for applying treating material in solution, by means of a wiping surface, to filaments as the filaments are being attenuated from a supply source. Still more particularly, this invention relates to a device for treating a plurality of glass fibers or filaments, or other normally abrasive filamentary material, and for simultaneously selectively positioning the treating surface and controlling the supply of treating material.

In the conventional methods of drawing glass fibers from a plurality of streams of glass as such streams fiow, or are exuded, from a body of molten glass, it is customary to gather these fibers into a strand before winding them upon a rapidly rotating forming spool to form a package. This rotating spool provides the necessary attenuating force for drawing the multiple streams of glass into very fine fibers or filaments.

It is a general practice to gather the glass fibers together in the form of a strand by causing the fibers to converge over the surface of a pad of felt or other suitable body positioned in the path of the advancing fibers. The pad or body is usually saturated with a suitable sizing or lubricating liquid in order to minimize the abrasive forces which exist between the treating body and the fibers when they are drawn thereover. Since the strand forming operation is conducted by drawing the fibers at a high velocity, between five and ten thousand feet per minute, it is obvious that a substantial frictional or abrasive force is created between the felt pad and the fibers as the fibers pass over the pad, even when the pad is saturated with a sizing or lubricating liquid. Therefore, in actual production, the felt pads tend to wear away quite rapidly and thus require frequent replacement. Consequently, in order to replace these pads, there is necessitated an interruption of the forming operation so that each time a change of pad is required, considerable loss of production time and of treating material is lost.

One of the major problems encountered in attenuation of continuous glass filaments which results in loss of production, and of treating material unless adequate steps are taken, is that of filament breakout. The breakout, or disruption of the continuity of the filaments, is usually caused by one or more of the filaments breaking, for whatever reason, and becoming entangled with other filaments and consequently the forming operation is disrupted. In order to resume the forming operation, it is necessary for the attendant operator to separate the individual filaments and restart the proper feeding of the filaments from the orifices of the melting crucible by hand. In order to facilitate the restart of the feeding of the filaments by the United States Patent 3,378,395 Patented Apr. 16, 1968 operator, it is desirable to be able to temporarily move the treating pad or body out of the normal path of the filaments. It is also desirable to discontinue the feeding of the binder or treating material during this disruption in production in order to reduce waste of the binder.

Shut-01f valves have been heretofore provided in the supply lines feeding treating materials to filament treating stationsQHowever, these have been generally of the globe type, which are relatively slow acting, and have been generally at a location quite removed from the treating station. Consequently, the attendant operator has, of necessity, been required to perform two complete and independent operations, upon a disruption in the filament forming operation, first, move the treating station out of the way, and second, shut off the treating material supply. In most cases, the attendant operator never bothered to shut off the supply.

It is a primary object of this invention to reduce the loss of treating material during an interruption in or disruption of the forming of filaments.

It is another object of this invention to provide method and apparatus for applying treating material to filaments advancing in a path from a source in an arrangement whereby the supply of treating material is automatically discontinued when the treating station is displaced from its normal position in the path.

It is a further object of this invention to provide meth- 0d and apparatus for simultaneously discontinuing the supply of treating material to a treating station and removing the treating station from the advancing path of a plurality of filaments in a filament forming operation when the filament forming is disrupted in order to reduce the loss of production and of treating material,

To accomplish the objects of this invention, a preferred embodiment comprises means for advancing the fibers in a path where the fibers are brought into tangential contact with the wiping surface of a body forming a treating station, to which station treating material is fed by means of a supply conduit; within the supply conduit line is incorporated a quick-acting valve having a positionable member which may be in the form of a handle, for controlling the opening and closing of the valve and consequently the passage of the treating material through the conduit line; the treating station is suitably supported by the positionable member, or extension thereof, so as to be movable therewith and the treating station is arranged in a manner whereby the valve is automatically closed when it is moved out of the normal path of the advancing fibers.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a filament treating station interposed in operative relation in the path of a plurality of continuous glass filaments as they advance in a path from the melting crucible;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the treating station of FIG. 1 including the alternate position of the valve actuator mechanism shown in phantom lines;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view, partially in section, of the valve assembly and actuator taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a crosssectional view of an alternate form of converger which may form a part of the treating station;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a typical ball-type valve which may be employed in connection with this invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view representation of the closed position of the valve;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but illustrating the normally open position of the valve.

The present invention may be used the formation of filaments, strands, or yarns from any one of a number of materials such as glass, artificial silk, nylon or cellulose acetate. In the present case, the invention will be described in connection with glass since the invention finds particular utility in the production of glass filaments.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a receptacle 10 adapted to contain a supply of molten glass and having a plurality of small apertures or orifices in the bottom base portion thereof through which molten streams of glass flow by gravity or are exuded from the receptacle 19. The filaments 12 formed from the streams of molten glass are drawn downwardly at high speeds and are gathered into one or more strands 14 by the action of one or more fiber gathering bodies 16. The gathering bodies 16 may form a part of a filament treating station 13 where the filaments are customarily treated with suitable treating or lubricating liquid by contacting a wiping surface 20 of the treating station 18 to which wiping surface 29 the liquid 21 is continuously supplied by means of conduit or line 22.

The treating station 18 comprises a base 24 for supporting a valve 26 forming means for controlling the flow of treating liquid through line 22. The valve 26 is preferably of the quick-acting ball type which requires minimum movement of the positionable arm member 28 for actuation to and from a normally open position as shown in solid lines in FIG. 2 to a closed position represented in phantom lines in FIG. 2. The arm member 28 is illustrated as being operatively linked to valve 26 through connecting links 30 and 31 and handle 32. Thus arm member 28 forms an extension of handle 32. However, it will be apparent that the arm member 28 could form an integral part of handle 32 in those installations where th handle 32 is sufiiciently strong to support the filament gathering bodies 16, or other filament contacting bodies, of the treating station 18.

An important aspect of this invention is that the filament contacting means, whether it be in the form of a converger or other coating apparatus, be operatively connected with positionable means, shown to be in the form of handle 32, for selectively controlling the open and closed position of flow control means, valve 26, so as to be movable with said positionable means.

The wiping surface 20 is illustrated in FIG. 1, as forming a part of the fiber gathering or converging device 16. The converging device 16 comprises an annular body portion the periphery of which is provided with a V-shaped groove portion 42 for converging the filaments 12. The V-shaped groove portion 42 also defines the wiping surface 20 for contacting the filaments 12 with treating material 21.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, nozzle means 46 spray the treating material 21 onto the filaments and onto the converging-wiping area whereas in the alternate embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the nozzle means 46a provide the liquid treating material to a fibrous pad 48 of a gathering device of the type disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,972,370 issued to G. A. Walbolt. It will be apparent that various combinations of nozzles and converging pads as well as other types of applicators, such as that disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,968,278, may also be employed without departing from the spirit of this invention so long as the applicator station 18 is positionable and the positioning thereof effects the opening and closing of the treating material supply to the station 18.

As indicated previously, the preferred type of valve means for controlling the flow of treating material to the treating station is a ball-type valve. Generally, these balltype valves comprise a casing 50 adapted to be connected to a conduit line 22 and having a valve chamber 52, an inlet opening 54 and an outlet opening 56. A ball 58, having an internal passage with ports 62 and 64 at the ends, is mounted in the chamber 52 and is rotatable between an open position in which the ports 62 and 64 are in communication with the conduit line 22 as shown in FIG. 5 and 7 and a closed position where the ports 62 and 64 are out of communication with the conduit line 22 as shown in FIG. 6. Adjustable stop means shown to be in the form of a screw 66 threadably supported in boss 70 for engagement with one of the links 30 and 31 or handle 32 to limit the open position of the valve 26. Usually, and as shown in FIG. 5 the valve 26 is also provided with a boss 72 suitably positioned with respect to the terminal portion '74 of handle 32 to define stop means for the closed position of the valve. In a preferred embodiment, the valve is limited to an open position where the internal passage 60 is at a 45 angle with the axis of the conduit line, as shown in FIG. 7, in order to minimize the movement required to close the valve 26 upon a breakout in the filament forming operation. However, it will be apparent that the valve 26 may be arranged so that the internal passage is in more or less open communication with the conduit line 22 in the normally open position. It is preferred, however, when the valve 26 is in the normally open position, that the wiping surface 20 of the converger 16 or other filament contacting body assume a position in the normal path of the advancing filaments 12 where the filaments 12 are in tangential contact with the wiping surface 20.

It is to be noted that FIG. 1 also illustrates the manner in which the glass filaments 12 from a single melting receptacle 10 may be split into a plurality of groups. Each group is separately treated with treating material 21 from individual nozzles 46. The individual volume fiuid fiowthrough of each nozzle 46 may be separately adjusted by suitable means such as pet-cock 45. However, the on-off flow to the nozzles 46 is controlled by the common valve 26. It will be apparent that the illustrated embodiment may be modified to have the number of nozzles 46 commonly supported and fed to correspond to the number of groups of filaments emanating from a single supply source of filaments.

One of the major advantages arising from the present method and apparatus is that with a single movement the attendant operator, at a filament forming and treating operation, may simultaneously remove the treating station from the normal advancing path of the filaments upon a breakout of the filament forming operation, in order to facilitate restarting, and automatically shut off or discontinue the feeding of and conserve treating material.

While the invention has been described in rather full detail, it will be understood that such detail need not be strictly adhered to and that various changes and modifications may suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, all falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the subjoined claims.

What I claim:

1. The method of applying treating material to continuous filaments being advanced in a downward path, which comprises:

(a) positioning a treating body into tangential contact with the advancing filaments;

(b) feeding said treating material through a valve member to continuously supply treating material to said treating body while said body is in contact with said filaments; and

(c) upon disruption of the normal advancement of said filaments, positioning said body out of the normal path of the advancing filaments, said positioning also actuating said valve member to discontinue the supply of said treating material.

2. Apparatus for treating a filament, comprising:

(a) means for advancing a continuous filament in a downward path from a source;

(b) a positionable body having a wiping surface adapted to contact said filament in said path;

(c) conduit means for supplying treating material to said body; and

(d) valve means incorporated in said conduit means for controlling the supply of said treating material to said body,

(e) said valve means being actuable by the positioning of said body into and out of the path of said filament to assume an open position when said body is positioned for contact with said filament in its normal path and a closed position when said body is moved from the normal path.

3. Apparatus for treating filaments, comprising:

(a) means for advancing a plurality of continuous filaments in a downward path from a source;

(b) converging means for contacting and converging said filaments as they advance in said path;

() supply means for directing a supply of treating material to said converging means; and

((1) control means for selectively controlling the supply of said treating material to said converging means,

(c) said control means including an actuable valve and actuating means for actuating said valve between open and closed positions, and

(f) said converging means being supported for movement with said actuating means and to be in contact with said filaments in their normal path when said valve is in an open position and to be out of the normal path of the advancing filaments when said valve is in a closed position.

4. Apparatus as described in claim 3, wherein said supply means includes a conduit line and said valve is positioned in said line, and wherein said valve is a ball-type valve comprising a casing defining a valve chamber and having a rotatable ball positioned in said chamber, said ball having an internal passage which is in open communication with said conduit line when said converging means is in the normal path of the advancing filaments and said internal passage is out of open communication with said conduit line when said converging means is positioned out of the normal path of the advancing filaments.

5. Apparatus for treating filaments, comprising:

(a) means for advancing a plurality of continuous filaments in a downward path from a source;

(b) a positionable body having a wiping surface adapted to contact said filaments in said path;

(c) treating material supply means for providing a source of treating material to said wiping surface; and

(d) control means for selectively controlling the supply of said treating material to said wiping surface including a valve and a movable arm operably connected to said valve,

(e) said body being suitably supported by said arm,

and

(f) said valve being arranged to assume an open position when said body is normally positioned for contact with said filaments in said path and a closed position when said body is moved from the normal position.

6. Apparatus for treating continuous glass fibers, comprising:

(a) means for advancing a plurality of continuous glass fibers;

(b) a body portion having a wiping surface positionable in the path of said fibers;

(c) positionable means mounting said body; and

(d) valve means for controllably presenting treating material to said wiping surface,

(e) said positionable means also forming control means for opening and closing said valve means whereby said body portion is positioned to contact said fibers with said wiping surface when said valve is open and said body portion is positioned so that said wiping surface is out of contact with said fibers when said valve is in a closed position.

7. Apparatus for treating filaments, comprising:

(a) means for advancing a plurality of groups of filaments from a common source in separate paths;

(b) a plurality of positionable bodies mounted on a common support, there being at least as many bodies as there are groups of filaments, each of said bodies having a wiping surface adapted to contact a group of filaments in the advancing path of the group;

(c) a plurality of nozzle means, at least one for each of said bodies, for providing a source of treating material to the wiping surface of the respective body;

((1) control means for selectively controlling the supply of said treating material to the plurality of nozzle means including a valve and a movable arm,

(c) said bodies being commonly supported by said arm for common movement therewith,

(f) said valve being arranged to assume an open position when said bodies are normally positioned for contact with said groups of filaments in their respective paths and a closed position when said bodies are commonly moved out of the normal advancing paths of said groups of filaments.

8. In the method of applying treating material to filaments being advanced in a path by means of a body having a wiping surface adapted to contact said filaments in said path and controlling the supply of said treating material through an actuable valve, the steps which comprise:

(a) supporting said body on positionable support means which also forms means for actuating said valve;

(b) positioning said filaments into contact with said body;

(c) continuously supplying treating material to said treating body while said body is in contact with said filaments; and

(d) sufiiciently pivoting said support means to position said body out of the normal path of the advancing filaments and to actuate said valve and stop the flow of said treating material.

9. The method of treating continuous filaments, comprising:

(a) advancing said filaments in a downward path from a source;

(b) positioning the wiping surface of a positionable treating body in contact with said filaments in said path;

(c) supplying treating material to said body through conduit means including valve means incorporated therein; and

( d) actuating said valve means by positioning said body into and out of the path of said filaments to assume an open position when said body is positioned for contact with said filaments in their normal path and a closed position when said body is moved transversely from the normal path.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,004,660 10/ 1911 Klotz 118-256 X 1,043,087 11/1912 Furber 118-256 1,701,506 2/1929 Reid 118-2 2,339,590 1/ 1944 Thomas et al. 65-11 X 2,911,941 11/1959 Sokal 118-264 X 2,972,370 2/1961 Walbolt 156-441 3,034,923 5/ 1962 Bowers 118-8 3,052,210 9/1962 Hughes 118-3 3,072,095 1/ 1963 Keessen et al. 118-8 ALFRED L. LEAVITT, Primary Examiner.

JOHN H. NEWSOME, A. ROSENSTEIN,

Assistant Examiners. 

